Adipokines may be potential mediators of the association between excess adiposity and vascular dysfunction. We assessed the cross-sectional associations of circulating
adipokines with vascular stiffness in a community-based cohort of younger adults. We related circulating concentrations of
leptin and
leptin receptor,
adiponectin,
retinol-binding protein 4, and
fatty acid-binding protein 4 to vascular stiffness measured by arterial tonometry in 3505 Framingham Third Generation cohort participants free of
cardiovascular disease (mean age 40 years, 53% women). Separate regression models estimated the relations of each
adipokine to mean arterial pressure and aortic stiffness, as carotid femoral pulse wave velocity, adjusting for age, sex, smoking, heart rate, height,
antihypertensive treatment, total and
high-density lipoprotein cholesterol,
diabetes mellitus, alcohol consumption, estimated glomerular filtration rate,
glucose, and
C-reactive protein. Models evaluating aortic stiffness also were adjusted for mean arterial pressure. Mean arterial pressure was positively associated with blood
retinol-binding protein 4,
fatty acid-binding protein 4, and
leptin concentrations (all P<0.001) and inversely with
adiponectin (P=0.002). In fully adjusted models, mean arterial pressure was positively associated with
retinol-binding protein 4 and
leptin receptor levels (P<0.002 both). In fully adjusted models, aortic stiffness was positively associated with
fatty acid-binding protein 4 concentrations (P=0.02), but inversely with
leptin and
leptin receptor levels (P≤0.03 both). In our large community-based sample, circulating concentrations of select
adipokines were associated with vascular stiffness measures, consistent with the hypothesis that
adipokines may influence vascular function and may contribute to the relation between
obesity and
hypertension.